Questions for the christians

06-28-2008, 08:04 AM

I was reading an article on human nature and something in it made me think about all this religion thing and the whole concept of man doing things because they expect some kind of reward,....hence my question is this,.....would you agree that the main underlying concept of christianity is that man is unable to accept the finality of death and therefore clings to anything that he thinks will offer him another crack at life when he dies...??

My second question is this.....if the &quot;eternal life&quot; clause was taken out the equation,..would you honestly be as robust in your adherence to christianity,....if it was proven beyond all doubt that when you die you stay dead,....no ressurection,no afterlife,no milk and honey,....would you still pursue your faith with the same fervour...?

The 'carrot' option is only half the story. The other half is the 'big stick'. I'd wager more Christians pretend to be good because they fear hellfire and brimstone than because they love milk sweetened with bee vomit.

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In my opinion thats a very large part of it,..the fear factor,as a boy this fear factor was a very big motivator for me,..the prospect of going to &quot;hell&quot; wasnt an option for me,....I wanted to go to the &quot;other&quot; place which seems much nicer,......they were even giving away complimentary cups of milk and honey when you arrive at the gate.

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belief is not proof..look at the word---do you believe in god. there would be no belief if there were proof.
think about it- do you believe in cars?-well, no-because we dont need to believe because we know they exist.

its a whole brainwash scheme to give people false hope-and your right -FEAR. people believe in god only for there good so in turn is selfish in itself.
mrs jones gets cancer. all of a sudden she finds religion.because she fears dying early. and perhaps knowing she going to kick the bucket, she (out of fear from the religious institution embeedded in peoples heads for centuries, fears going to a dark place or wanting &quot;eternal life&quot;.
to me its like believing in the tooth fairy

I dont belive there is a single &quot;christian&quot; on this board that can answer honestly without incriminating themself,...with or without scriptures....hence the silence. </div></div>im not going to say i believe your right. i know your right.
Newt, dont blame them for not wanting to answer. there waiting to consult with there pastor, or flipping through the King James edition

Im not in denial, I just refuse to see your reality...

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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Newtriment</div><div class="ubbcode-body">In my opinion thats a very large part of it,..the fear factor,as a boy this fear factor was a very big motivator for me,..the prospect of going to &quot;hell&quot; wasnt an option for me,....I wanted to go to the &quot;other&quot; place which seems much nicer,......they were even giving away complimentary cups of milk and honey when you arrive at the gate. </div></div>
Maybe the &quot;fear factor&quot; motivates some, but if it does, that approach is wrong. But as with everything else, people react and respond differently to things, so that's to be expected.

aka ChurchDude. I want that moniker back! Until then....

"Sometimes you have to let go to see if there was anything worth holding on to" ~ Anon

I dont belive there is a single &quot;christian&quot; on this board that can answer honestly without incriminating themself,...with or without scriptures....hence the silence. </div></div>
You know as well as I do that while the above may be provocative, it makes no sense. Personally, I didn't see the thread until just now.

aka ChurchDude. I want that moniker back! Until then....

"Sometimes you have to let go to see if there was anything worth holding on to" ~ Anon

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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CEW</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
You know as well as I do that while the above may be provocative, it makes no sense. Personally, I didn't see the thread until just now. </div></div>

Lol,..so what you saying CEW,..I`m provoking you,....anyway,..glad to see you take up the gauntlet,you know I always have respect for your point of view,agree with you that different people,different approac,and the fear factor may be a motivator for <span style="font-weight: bold"> some</span>.

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Well, Newtriment (love the new name btw) I grew up in the church from birth until I was about 12 or so when I came to the States. I was made to go to church and for the most part had an okay experience. (What kid didn't like to go to church to see the grown ups ketch inna spirit and spin dem roll? ) Throughout my teen years, especially the latter part, I didn't go, simply because I didn't have to and I wanted to enjoy the world. After a time, I felt a serious void as if something was missing and I knew that it was because my churchgoing waned dramatically.

I started going again but not with the intention of becoming saved. I made the decision to become a Christian not because of the fear of hell whatsoever. It's to a point now where it's about my relationship with God and the way I treat my fellow man. In all honesty, I'm not motivated niether by heaven or hell. What I am motivated by is the challenge of bettering myself,leading a life that's pleasing to God and while here on Earth and in this life to try to push others to be their best.

If someone was supposed to tell me tomorrow that there's no hell or heaven, I certainly wouldn't have a problem. Just don't tell me there's no God.

"I may be silent, but I'm thinking. I may not talk, but don't mistake me for a wall."

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Do I want to go to hell? No
Do I want to avoid hell? Yes
Do I serve God simply for that reason? No

So Why PDB? Well my name kinda says it all. Purpose-Driven Bredda - I know why I'm here and because it is wrapped up in God, I seek to do what He wants me to do. That's why I do what I do. I try to make sure that everything that I do contributes positively to what my purpose is. That's why I serve the Lord. That's why I'm Christian......and hey, the benefits ain't that bad either!!!

<span style="font-size: 14pt">Ecclesiastes 12:13</span>
<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-family: 'Georgia'">Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear GOD and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.</span></span>

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